Winds of Change
by DarkAgumonRants
Summary: Failing once in her attempt to take Canterlot and failing again in her attempt to take down Twilight, one would think Chrysalis would have cut her losses and let things be, but the queen has once again appeared, this time in broad daylight with no disguise and no army. Her weapon of choice? Diplomacy.
1. The Auspicious Offer

The night seemed to reflect the mood of everypony who had gathered at such a late hour. It was a warm summer night but the breeze added a chill to the air. My friends were gathered around as well, each pony looking towards the sky, faces grim...well, except Pinkie of course. Seemingly oblivious to the world around her, she was lightly hopping up and down, eager for the night's events to commence.

Beside me, her mane sparkling with starlight and waving gently in her own invisible breeze was Princess Luna, also looking towards the moon. Perhaps on any other night she might have been reflecting on her imprisonment, but tonight she was waiting with the rest of us, her face set in grim determination. Just standing close to her I could feel the magic rolling off of her in waves. Even though her horn was dim, her power was brimming justbeneath the surface, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.

Then the sound began. It was a faint buzzing sound on the air, like a swarm of distant insects getting closer. Just as Luna had predicted, a shape suddenly obscured the moon, vaguely pony-like in definition and silhouetted against the glow. Behind the largest shape were four smaller dots, all of them getting closer and closer until finally the lights of Ponyville were enough to illuminate the new arrivals.

Standing just as tall as Luna, though slightly more slim in build, was Chrysalis, green stringy hair swaying gently in the breeze, her insect wings coming to rest behind her as her hooves, each one bearing several holes, came in for a landing, touching down gently on the grass. Behind her, several smaller drones landed as well, though their queen was at the center of everypony's attention. Death glares were present on all of my friend's faces, except once again for Pinkie, who was running a hoof lovingly over her party cannon with an evil grin, waiting for one of them to make a provocative movement.

It was the queen who broke the silence first. "Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle, I'm honored to have such a regal welcoming," she said, inclining her head to us, the changelings behind her also bowing their heads. Her tone was light and almost friendly, a far cry from the last two times I had encountered her, once at my brother's wedding and another time at her own castle.

"You may dispense with pleasantries Queen Chrysalis. I am not here to welcome you, only remind you of our terms. Place one hoof out of line or bring a single pony to harm and the consequences visited on you shall leave you begging for exile." Luna's voice carried with it the weight of countless years of leadership and intimidation, but if Chrysalis felt any of it, she didn't show it.

"As I've said repeatedly, I've sworn to be on my best behavior," returned the queen easily, saying the words as one who was repeatedly forced to recite them until it had become second nature. "I have accepted the seal on my magic as a show of good faith, have I not?" Her jagged horn bore a bright golden ring around it, radiating the sheer power of Celestia's magic.

"I will be watching you even so," said the princess of the night, her eyes casting around to the drones who were still standing behind her. "Your escort?"

"My personal guards. You can hardly expect royalty to travel without, can you not?"

"Then they are under the same agreements as you, and you will answer for any wrongdoings they commit."

"There will be no wrongdoings Princess Luna," said Chrysalis agreeably in a tone of voice that seemed to make her words all the more suspicious. "So long as both parties stick to their end of the deal," she added. For the first time that night her gaze fell upon me. Trying my best to look undisturbed, I looked right back, my face carefully blank.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance once again Twilight Sparkle."

"Happy to have your approval," I responded, surprised at just how much malice had come through my voice. It was hard to keep it back, she had threatened my family after all. Compared to that, the threat she had posed to Equestria seemed like a distant second offense. I'll admit it flat out, Chrysalis was intimidating. She wore the title of queen like a cloak and spoke as one who was used to everypony listening to her words. She was reminiscent of Nightmare Moon in that regard, but with an added edge of cruelty that seemed to simmer just beneath the surface.

I'd read plenty of books on the subject of changelings since her second coming, but it was frightening just how little we knew about them even now. Scattered reports of what their venom could do, their feeding habits, their corrupting influence...even with my brother's first hand account of being under her control, the collective information we had on them was vastly outweighed by our ignorance about their species as a whole.

"Such hatred," said the queen with a dark chuckle. "Really now, my magic and abilities have been sealed off by the sun princess herself, what threat could I possibly pose to any of you right now?"

"Ah'd sooner just kick you outta Ponyville and not find out," said Applejack. Her statement was followed by a chorus of agreements from my friends, which admittedly lifted my spirits somewhat. Everypony was going to be on their guard. If Chrysalis was going to try something, it certainly wasn't going to be on the first night of this official agreement. It probably wasn't even going to be in the first week. If she had a plot, the smart idea would be to do it somewhere far down the line, maybe even several months later, once people had grown comfortable of her presence, or at least used to seeing her around.

"Determination...warmth...admiration...and even a hint of love." Her tongue flicked out as if she were tasting those very emotions on the air. The thought that she was feeding on those things sent a small chill down my spine.

"Watch it changeling!" A blue blur zipped past me, the every loyal Rainbow Dash stopping just inches away from Chrysalis' face who barely even flinched. "I even so much think that you're feeding on my friends and I ain't waiting for Luna to give me permission before I-"

"Thank you Dash," I cut in. "Look, I'm counting on all of you to keep an eye on things, make sure no one in Ponyville is panicking or starting trouble with them. We need people to remain level headed about this and keep calm for the duration of her...diplomatic visit."

"Don't worry about us Twilight," said Rarity with a quiet, enviable calm. "Everypony knows what to expect over the next week and we'll all be keeping a close eye on things."

Nodding my thanks I looked towards Luna once again, wondering if she had anything more to say. As it turned out, she did. "Twilight, one last thing before I depart," she said, beckoning me with one of her wings.

Just out of earshot, the regal air seemed to vanish for a moment from the night time princess. "I really do apologize for putting you through this," she said finally.

"It's okay Princess Luna, I agreed to this as well," I responded quickly, "And we both know how much of an opportunity this is. It's better to have her on the inside where we can keep a close eye on her rather than on the borders plotting and waiting for the next opportunity to invade, right?"

Even with the logic, it was clear to see that Luna held the same feelings about the situation that I did. It was a sore point with her that she had practically slept through the last changeling invasion, leaving Celestia to fend for herself.

"Look, at the very least she'd be stupid to try anything tonight, when she knows everypony is going to be watching her, and if she breaks that band, Celestia is going to know immediately that something is wrong," I added, though at this point I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince her or myself.

Princess Luna looked at me for a long moment before sighing and extending a wing. To my surprise, she gently took me into an embrace, rubbing my head against her chest briefly. "Just be careful Twilight. Even without her powers she is not somepony to be taken lightly."

Extending her wings to a full span this time, Luna took off into the sky at an impressive clip, leaving the changeling queen alone with me and my friends.

"Another admirer it seems. She cares for you a great deal," said the queen upon my return to the group. "Though it's hard to tell what form her love for you takes."

I could only hope that the night disguised my blush. "Shut it," I snapped, my annoyance getting the better of me. "You just stick to your side of the deal, and I'll stick to mine." Taking a breath I turned towards my friends, trying to give them a confident smile. "You can go now."

Applejack looked between me and the small changeling contingent that remained. "Ya sure about this Twilight?"

"Me and me alone," I repeated. "She won't talk to anypony else."

"We'll come by tomorrow...early tomorrow," promised Rarity.

"Should I leave the cannon just in case?"

"No Pinkie...I'll be fine. What about your changelings?" I asked, turning back towards Chrysalis.

"The four of them will stand guard outside in shifts," she said easily. "They will not come into your library, as promised."

With that, there didn't seem to be anything left to say. One by one my friends departed, some giving Chrysalis their best death glare while Fluttershy gave me a look of support, having remained silent throughout the entire conversation. Considering her timid nature though, it was enough that she had come out to face Chrysalis in the first place. Two of the changelings took flight, landing in the branches of the tree while the other two took station on either side of my door. Opening it with a quick application of magic, I led the changeling queen inside, making a conscious effort not to slam the door behind me. Per the agreement, even Spike wasn't here right now. He had been worried about me certainly, but between spending a night with the changeling queen and spending a night with Rarity, it hadn't taken much to coerce him.

Spinning around I faced the changeling queen. "Alright, now that you've gotten what you want, tell me why."

"Pardon?" Her green eyes looked surprisingly innocent and playful.

"Tell me why. Why were you willing to give up so much just for...this?" I asked, gesturing with a hoof to my surroundings. "You said you were going to be honest with me, so tell me why."

"Because doing so is in the best interest for my hive and for myself as queen." Her innocent look was practically driving me up the wall by this point.

"That's not an answer and you know it!"

"Twilight, I promised you honesty. This deal I have made with your rulers is of benefit to me just as much as it is to you."

"But how? What could you possibly be getting out of this by going through me?" The obvious motive of revenge seemed almost impossible for her to capitalize on given the restraints and restrictions being put on her thanks to Celestia's magic, but it wasn't something I was going to rule out just yet.

Her green eyes closed for a bit and again her tongue flicked out, tasting the air. "Celestia is quite protective of you, though I'm sure you've realized that, yes?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Patience Twilight," she murmured, her eyes still closed. "Princess Luna is also fiercely protective of you as well, though she's much more subdued about it. I'm sure she's noticed all those times you've gazed at her work through your telescope."

"How did-"

"I said patience," said the changeling, cutting me off once again. There was a long moment of silence before she spoke this time. "Your friends each carry their own admiration for you as well. Loyalty, concern, kindness, and of course that ever present underlying taste of love."

"You're...not feeding off of them are you?" I asked, slightly horrified, my horn glowing somewhat as I unconsciously reached for my magic.

"Hardly. Allow me to educate you," she said, finding one of my cushions and sitting back on it. Almost instinctively my magic drew a pen and paper to my side, prepared to take notes. "If a changeling so desires it, they can drain a pony dry of their emotions and their magic, leaving them nothing more than a near-lifeless husk, no better than a drone, unable to feel anything. It was the fate I once had planned for your dear brother."

My pen stopped cold, my hoof trembling just a bit as I fought to regain a sense of calm. Everything had turned out fine in the end, but hearing Chyrsalis so casually say something like that was a bit unnerving even so. "But?" I asked pointedly.

"But it is very possible for a changeling to sustain themselves on the emotions given off naturally from other ponies without having to brainwash them too. How do you believe changeling agents are able to continue to survive and remain undetected for so long? The simple ambient love that the ponies hold towards your dear Celestia in Canterlot alone keeps them well fed while they feed information back to the hive."

My pen scratched at the paper, automatically writing down everything I was told. This was part of the deal after all, and this was information that Celestia and Luna were looking for to better deal with changelings in the future.

"But you? You have the attention of every powerful pony in Equestria it seems. Celestia's admiration, Luna's respect, Cadance's love, and the bearers of the elements of harmony as well," she said, finally opening her eyes again. "All focused around you in a swirling mass of delectable emotions. Simply sitting near you is invigorating in and of itself. If I could siphon a fraction of what you possess, we'd never go hungry again."

I fought the urge to shift away, but only just. The fact that she was feeding on all of those ambient emotions given to me by my friends was disturbing to say the least. At the same time though, I couldn't help but feel somewhat touched. Chrysalis may not have been the best medium for praise to be delivered, but there was little reason to doubt what she was saying. Her kind consumed emotions, so it only made sense that they'd be attuned to such feelings, especially their queen.

"Yes, well, feel free to keep those siphoning abilities to yourself," I grumbled testily, unable to shake the impression that I was being sized up like an exquisite piece of meat. "You haven't really answered my question though, unless you actually expect me to believe that you went to all this trouble for a convenient food source."

"Far from it. You see Twilight, I still haven't given up on you."

My pen stopped cold. "Excuse me?"

"You asked for honestly Twilight, and this is it. I see that same potential within you that I saw those few months ago when you stood there defiantly, facing down a queen you knew was more powerful than yourself."

"It was the power of my friends that helped see me through."

"Precisely. You channel those emotions and feelings into raw, untamed power. Power that saw to the defeat of Nightmare Moon, power that sealed Discord away. If I could tap into that power, then it would ease the burdens of my hive considerably."

"I really hope you're not expecting to get your hooves on the Elements of Harmony..." I stated cautiously. There was little point in asking exactly how she knew about all of this. She could have picked it up from my brother, or any one of her agents she'd spent the last decade planting in our cities and towns.

"Mere trinkets with the power to amplify their user's emotions. I thought I already said I was only interested in you." Her tone was one of leading a child to the obvious conclusion, and truth be told I'd come to that conclusion too, but it still felt ridiculous saying it aloud.

"Wait...let me get this straight. You seriously think that after everything that's happened, after you threatened Canterlot, brainwashed my brother, invaded Ponyville, and foal-napped three fillies...you're still under the delusion that I'd ever agree to being your student?"

Her evil laugh wasn't as good as Nightmare Moon, but she got more points in subtlety. "In time, yes, I think you will. Besides, I'm already teaching you, am I not?" Despite myself, my eyes glanced back at the paper where I had been taking notes.

"You...you're crazy. This...is crazy." My magic flared and the scroll rolled shut as I got to my hooves. "There's no way I'm going along with this. Just...take your changelings and-"

"Sit. Down." I couldn't help myself. It was the perfect imitation of a teacher voice that I'd been trained to follow for years. My hind legs folded and my flank hit the cushion once again while Chyrsalis composed herself. "I have given your kingdom resources in their ongoing fight against the changeling hives. I have revealed to your princesses several agents in their midst. I have hobbled and crippled myself to assuage the fears of the common ponies, and I have been completely honest with you about my intentions."

It was hard to remember she was a queen sometimes when the only emotions I'd ever seen her project were rage and arrogance. This time though, there was a calm, authoritative tone in her voice, one that I'd seen Celestia use during the times I'd sat in on her royal court. It was shouting without shouting, admonishing without anger, and impossible to ignore.

"The only things I have asked for in return, have been for your princess' help in sustaining my race, and a few nights out of the month spent alone with you. Perhaps you may consider my terms crazy, but I don't think I'm being unreasonable."

No, she wasn't. Letting out a sigh I opened the scroll again and brought out my quill, reminding myself that this was going to be the greatest opportunity for anyone to learn about the reclusive and mysterious race beyond the broad generalizations already known. "Do you...want something to eat?" I said finally, resigning myself to a long night. "Or are you fine with just leeching off my emotions?"

"Some tea would be wonderful, although I'll have to ask you to use the enchanted cups since I can't levitate anything right now," she said, brushing off my snide comment and motioning to the golden ring still shining brightly around her horn.

Preparing the tea gave me some time to think, and to get away from the oppressive and tense atmosphere that had wound its way throughout my library. Chrysalis had to have some sort of plan, some hidden agenda. Their very nature revolved around subterfuge, obfuscation, and mental games. There was always the distinct possibility that she was being straight with me and saying the truth just made me not want to believe it, but going down that rabbit hole was a bit more than I could take at the moment.

All too soon it seemed like the tea was done. Levitating the tray, I walked back into the sitting room, seeing that Chrysalis had moved from her sitting position and was now looking over my texts. "Changeling culture does not have many artists," she said without looking in my direction. "No restaurants, no writers, no musicians...only a small percentage of my hive is even capable of speaking and higher level thinking."

Carefully setting the tray down I picked up the quill once again. "Do you even have need of normal food?" I asked carefully, my curiosity piqued.

"Certain foods can be temporary sustenance, but ultimately emotions are what fuel us. We can only go so long without," she explained, drawing out a book with her hoof and looking at the back. I couldn't see the title from where I was sitting, but I recognized the section she was browsing. "Many view us as parasites, and they would be right to do so."

The insight came in an almost blinding flash of inspiration. "You...can't survive without us, can you?"

"Sharp as always Twilight. You are correct. Tell me, what else have you figured out?" she asked calmly, returning to the table with her book and gently taking a cup in her hoof, the enchantment letting it stick to her as she drank it.

"We're a food source to you, and you wouldn't want it to run out, so...killing wouldn't be in your best interest. Is that why..." I hesitated, taking another drink of my tea. "Is that why you let Cadance live?"

"Partially," admitted the changeling queen, doing nothing to set my mind at ease. "It may have been safer and easier to dispose of her more thoroughly, but in that period of time I was questioning her as well, learning about her, and feeding off of her strong emotions for your brother."

There was a long pause as I digested that particular bit of information. "And what about me?"

"Insurance. Had Celestia been too much for me, I could have used you and Cadance as valuable hostages. Celestia is a shrewd ruler and has been so for over a millennium. If need be, I've little doubt she'd have sacrificed Cadance to preserve the people of Canterlot. She has a blind spot when it comes to you though. One that I'm quite eager to learn more about."

"You know, I'm starting to think this absolute honesty approach-"

"-wasn't one of your better ideas?" finished the changeling queen before I could. "The truth can be rather harrowing at times. But as I've promised, what I've told you is the truth, though whether or not you believe it is up to you."

"No, I believe you," I said with a sigh. It made logical sense after all, though the thought that my use as a bargaining chip against Celestia was the only thing that had stopped her from transporting me over a bottomless pit instead of into a cave was chilling. "But since you're being honest and open with me right now, do you plan on invading Canterlot or Ponyville again?"

She smiled. "Not currently."

"Right, should have seen that one coming," I grumbled. "Also, if you're not planning on using magic, subterfuge, or your changeling powers-"

"Don't forget my natural venom."

"-and your venom, how exactly did you expect to convince me to become your student?"

"I'm not sure," said the queen with a smile that just made me want to teleport her somewhere far far away. "My only plan right now is to learn about you and see what opportunities arise."

"I find that almost impossible to believe."

"Don't worry my dear Twilight, if I do plan on hatching an evil scheme, you'll be the first to know. I'll even draw up a chart for you. You like charts, yes?"

"Was that a joke?" I asked, deeply suspicious.

"Mostly. I don't have much talent for charts."

Perhaps it was the sheer absurdity of the situation catching up to me, but I couldn't help but laugh lightly. It was one I badly needed as well, and to my surprise the queen's own tones of laughter joined mine shortly after.

"Seriously though," I said, my laughter stopping abruptly. "I see so much as a flicker of green from that horn and I'll have Pinkie come up with an even more annoying song for your next imprisonment."

"Will this be before or after Celestia banishes me to the moon and Luna sends me to Tartarus?" she responded easily, clearly not put off by my threats.

Falling back onto my flank, I picked up the pen once more. "Alright then...tell me about your race. Let's start with how you became queen," I suggested.

Taking another sip of her tea, the changeling queen began to speak, the hours of the night ticking away as my pen scratched along the paper, dutifully recording everything she told me.


	2. The First Night

The only light in the caves came from the soft green glow of the cocoons, but a changeling would have been home in complete and utter darkness. It was the most heavily fortified location that their hive had, guarded constantly by no less than a dozen changelings practically indoctrinated from birth into defending this place with their lives. The only others allowed inside were those who tended to the young, a select few that practically lived within this cave. The only ones who could come and go freely were Chrysalis herself and her mother.

Queen Chrysalide was in the midst of the cocoons right now, her eyes closed and her jagged horn glowing a vibrant green color, warmth and love radiating outwards to the cocoons which seemed to glow brighter in response. To the side, the young changeling princess watched and waited patiently as her mother worked.

Minutes passed and soon the green glow faded to a dim light and then went out completely, the changeling queen opening her eyes and letting out a breath before spotting her daughter sitting close by. "Aren't you supposed to be in lessons right now?"

"You know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important mother," came the reply. "Several messages from our soldiers recently came in but they know better than to disturb you during feeding."

The queen smiled and relaxed in her sitting position. "And considering they have used you as their messenger, I take it the news is not good either," she observed. "It's good to see their self-preservation instincts are working, but you really shouldn't let them shirk their duties onto you."

"If it helps, I made him grovel and beg for a full minute before I accepted his request," said the queen's daughter with a mischievous smile.

"Adequate," responded the queen with a carefully serious look on her face that soon dissolved into a chuckle. "Well then, what news do you bring me?"

"Mara has gone missing."

The queen's face remained carefully blank. "How long ago?"

"Unsure. Only she was aware of the meetings between her and the changelings in the field. We only got the report when she didn't show up for an exchange, so probably around an hour or two."

"There's more," said the queen as a statement of fact, her voice calm.

"The scouts who have been watching Queen Terranim's changelings have reported them missing as well, for at least a day now."

"Interesting." There was a long thoughtful moment of silence before the queen spoke again. "What do you make of this Chrysalis?"

Figuring that this was a test, Chrysalis put her mind to work. "It can't be the ponies themselves, otherwise there would be panic. Do you think it's...another queen?"

"That is a possibility, though the far more likely explanation is that Terranim is simply playing games with us. Testing the limits of our truce and so forth."

"But I thought Mara was one of your best! She's been with the hive since I was hatched!"

"A rather potent psychological blow, wouldn't you say? In one move, you remove a threat and make your enemy fearful of what else you might know."

"Should we retaliate?" asked Chrysalis uncertainly.

"Perhaps. There are a few options available to us. Do me a favor and tell Yensil to take care of his mark on your way out. He'll know what I mean."

"Wait, you mean to tell me that there were two changeling hives near Ponyville?" I asked incredulously.

Chrysalis nodded calmly, taking a sip of her tea. "My mother's hive, and the one belonging to Terranim. Both of us had changelings in Ponyville and Canterlot. With Celestia so close, ponies were far more warm and welcoming to others. Dignitaries were visiting all the time from all over the world so it was easier to slip in changelings unnoticed on the grounds that they were simply foreign visitors. Even the ambient love Celestia has for her subjects is powerful enough to subsist on."

"So...this is like a prime feeding ground for you then?"

The queen nodded. "And hotly contested as well. My mother Chrysalide and the queen of the other hive Terranim had an uneasy truce for about a decade and while I'm sure either queen would have been happy to take the opportunity to remove the other from power, both were content to keep to themselves so long as they could keep their hives fed."

"So what happened then?"

Chrysalis sighed and gave me a humorless smile. "It turns out I had been right all along."

"There was a third queen? How could three hives of changelings possibly exist near Canterlot without someone knowing?"

"Simple really. They couldn't."

It had taken over a month to set this meeting up. Changelings lived and thrived on deception and subtlety so any sort of meeting was an opportune time for back stabs, assassination attempts, and reconnaissance. Even the location changed no less than four times before Terranim and Chrysalide were satisfied, but it was justifiable paranoia all the same. Losing a queen wasn't the absolute end of a hive, but it did leave things disorganized and vulnerable to enemies.

At the center of the dimly lit cave stood Chrysalide, flanked by six changelings as she waited for the other queen. Off to the side was Chrysalis, surrounded by four soldiers herself while two bound prisoners were the focus of the rest. Twelve in all, though several dozen more were on the outskirts of the meeting place, ready to come at the queen's call.

"Is she not going to show?" asked the changeling princess after several long moments of silence.

"She will show. She is merely searching for ambushes or potential traps at the moment."

"How can you tell?"

"Because it is what I would do were our roles reversed."

Seconds ticked by and Chrysalis tried to stay interested, but her eyes were soon wandering and her thoughts drifted. Her mother had described these games of intrigue as dangerous and exciting and her many stories reflected that. Right now though, it just seemed to involve a lot of waiting and mistrust.

"They're here," said the queen rather suddenly, a faint buzzing sound filling the cave as the changelings from the other hive began to make their appearance. The soldiers came first, looking around the cavern, though none of them moved beyond the invisible boundary that indicated Chrysalide's territory.

At long last, the other changeling queen emerged, walking calmly into the dimly lit cavern while twelve soldiers moved into formation around her. "Queen Chrysalide," greeted Terranim as her own prisoners were brought forward. Mara was among them. "And Princess Chrysalis as well."

"Queen Terranim," responded Chrysalide.

Since the forms of changelings were naturally malleable, how they presented themselves was often a matter of personal taste. Terranim's hive was distinguished by their silver markings and the queen reflected that in the pattern of her translucent wings and the highlights of her tail and mane. Terranim thought it make her look ageless. Chrysalis just thought it made her look old.

"I sincerely hope you are not trying to pass off your drones as prisoners," said Chrysalide after a long moment of silence.

"And I could say much the same about you," responded Terranim, pointing one of her legs at the captives Chrysalide had bound.

"Interesting. Did your interrogation reveal which hive they were from?" said the green tailed queen, quickly shifting gears.

Terranim shook her head. "Not a word from either of them no matter what techniques I tried. They are either fiercely loyal or simply not intelligent enough to betray their secrets." A discreet nod passed between the queen and a guard, one of the changeling drones approaching the bound captives. In a single swift move, he brought his leg down upon Mara's neck, filling the cave with a disturbing sound. Chrysalide and Terranim never broke eye contact.

"Tell me what sort of markings you see," said the silver maned queen.

"Red markings around the feet and wings," came the raspy voice of the changeling in charge of the prisoners. "And a red mark in a lightning bolt pattern across the back."

"So there is a third," said Chrysalide finally, stating what everyone was thinking. "A rather vain and young one if her markings are any indication."

"Or one who simply wishes to send a message," retorted Terranim. "She did manage to catch two of my hive after all."

"But in doing so she has tipped her hand somewhat."

"It either speaks of excessive confidence or arrogance. Regardless, this changes little between us." It was a lie and both queens knew it. Plans were already forming on both sides now that a somewhat-certainty had become an absolute certainty.

"Of course," said Chrysalide amicably with a small smile.

The conversation dissolved into more mundane things. Hinting at possible plans, alluding to prisoners, and thinly veiled warnings. The soldiers on each side continued to glare daggers at one another while Chrysalis tried to not look bored. The interesting part of the night had passed and things had dissolved into little more than a cordial, if someone tense, business meeting.

"It was a pleasure meeting with you again Queen Terranim," said the emerald queen, drawing Chrysalis out of her thoughts. "I shall send word if there are any developments."

"And I shall do the same," said the silver queen with a nod of her head. Chrysalide was the first to leave, her soldiers and prisoners in tow, not looking back.

"So what happens now?" asked the changeling princess once she was sure they were out of earshot.

"Now? We send a message to the red queen and find out what game she is playing," she said, gesturing towards the two captives. "I have little doubt that Terranim will be doing the same."

"More waiting then?" said the princess with a sigh.

"Patience my dear daughter. Games of intrigue take time to unfold."

My pen paused as queen Chrysalis stopped talking. I had to admit, she was a good storyteller. Maybe she had inherited her mother's talent for making these games seem interesting even if the reality involved long periods of waiting in between brief moments of excitement.

"So what happened then?" I asked once the moment of silence had been drawn out to the point of awkwardness.

"Patience Twilight," she said, her eyes mischievous. I knew right then and there that I wasn't going to get another word out of her. Maybe it was her way of insuring that she'd get another night together by promising more of the story then.

I bit back my disappointment and tried not to let it show. It had taken a while for the implications to really sink in, but now the possibilities were growing by the second. Chrysalis was an opportunity to do new, never before documented research about a species that had long been shrouded in mystery. History, social structure, magical abilities...it was all here, calmly drinking my tea.

"I can taste your excitement Twilight," she murmured. "It's quite invigorating. Having the chance to study a new species must be quite an opportunity for you. Are you still looking to get your own book published?"

"First, that's really creepy. Feel free to keep that information to yourself. Second, how did you know about that?" I asked, my eyes narrowing once again.

"Well, it's an ability Changelings have that allow us to sense the emotional state-"

"I meant about the book!" I snapped.

"Really Twilight, it wasn't terribly hard to find out information about you. You're a rather popular pony even outside of Ponyville. The white mare, Rarity, is a treasure trove of gossip and was quite eager to sing your praises when she was fitting one of my minions for a dress."

I resisted the urge to rub my head with a hoof. I cared for Rarity dearly, but she could be a bit loose with her tongue if approached in a friendly manner. Still, it's not like I told her to keep it a secret or anything. My attention was drawn back to her as the insect like wings fluttered a bit, the queen taking a new position on the cushion and looking somewhat restless. A quick glance at the clock on the wall showed me that we'd been at this for some time now, though fatigue was the very last thing I was feeling.

"Tell me Twilight, would you like a practical demonstration of my abilities?" asked the changeling rather suddenly, standing up and stretching out her wings. "I'm quite happy to regale you with tales until your ink runs dry, but you'll never really learn about me from word of mouth alone."

"Could you possibly say that in a way that sounds less ominous?" I asked, going for a snide remark to buy me time to think on what she was offering. Since her magic and her shape shifting powers were sealed, there was little question as to what she had in mind and about a hundred reasons to refuse it. At the same time I owed it to Celestia and Luna to find out as much as I possibly could about her.

"You know better than anyone all of the contingencies that have been put in place for my visit. Just how much of a risk is it to you?" asked the queen calmly.

Letting out a sigh, I dropped the pen and let it rest on the paper. She wasn't going to try anything tonight. Luna's guards were no doubt outside right now, keeping an eye on the place and Celestia herself was planning to look me over tomorrow and make sure I wasn't under any sort of influence. "So...do you just bite someone and inject venom into them?"

Chrysalis chuckled lightly, obviously finding humor in my timidness. "Not unless I'm in a hurry. There is a far more gentle way to do it."

"And that is?" I asked, deeply suspicious.

Raising one of her legs, the black colored queen beckoned me forward. Cautiously, I scooted towards her while instinctively drawing upon my magic, still nervous about being so close to her. The next part happened so fast that it took me completely off guard. With a surprising amount of tenderness her leg slid beneath my neck and pushed up, drawing me level with her face. I had a moment to see her almost gleeful look before she descended, pressing her mouth to mine, tongue slipping past my half open mouth and darting inside and leaving a lingering taste and a tingling sensation behind.

A second passed, and then two. The magic I had been reaching for reacted to my panic and a violet explosion threw the two of us back, the queen crashing into the bookshelf opposite myself and causing several large volumes to tumble onto the ground and ruin Spike's hard work. I was the first to recover, levitating several books off of me as I glared at the heap Chrysalis had landed in. "What was...what was that?"

"The more pleasant method," said the queen with amusement as she shifted the books off of her. "What are you feeling right now?"

The magical rush from earlier slowly faded, new sensations starting to make themselves known throughout my body. "I feel...warm...hard to think..." I said aloud, my magic once again lifting the pen as I quickly jotted down the sensations as fast as the words came to mind.

"What else?" pressed the changeling queen, moving past her seat to stand directly in front of me.

"It's...like a feeling of safety..." I said, struggling to find the words. "Like I'm in the presence of someone I can trust completely."

This was the changeling's poison at work. I knew it even as I was writing these feelings down. It was hard to keep my mind straight as I was both simultaneously trying to explore the sensations while also resist them. The queen had a knowing look on her face as she stalked closer, nearly brushing against me.

"Do you prefer stallions or mares, Twilight?"

"Mares," I said automatically before my mind could catch up with the words. Horrified, I slapped a hoof to my muzzle, eyes wide as I looked up at her fanged grin.

"Put your hoof down and relax Twilight," she said, her voice firm but gentle. My leg shook just a bit but slowly pulled away from my mouth and rested on the ground.

"How many ponies know?" she asked after a moment, her voice still calm and gentle. Perhaps it was the poison but her voice sounded quite a bit like Celestia's right now. Warm and comforting, but firm as well.

"N-nopony..." I clenched my teeth as I tried to fight the answer this time but it still came out anyways. "Just you." Part of me wanted to scream at her to stop asking questions but another part of me was desperate to fight and see if I could throw this off under my own power.

"Do you find any of your mare-friends attractive?" asked the queen, her voice still light and gentle. Again the compulsion to answer rose but I managed to fight it back this time...for about a full second.

"Y-yes," I gasped out, sweating slightly, closing my eyes tightly so I wouldn't have to see Chrysalis' growing smile.

"Which-" Before she could finish the sentence my horn flashed with a brilliant violet color. The sounds in the library were suddenly cut off. I could read the motions of her mouth but no words came through for me to hear. A spell of deafness. I couldn't answer any questions or obey any orders I couldn't hear and with her magic sealed there was no way for her to communicate with me mentally either.

Letting out a breath that I couldn't hear, I looked up to Chrysalis and gave her a somewhat smug look though the brief sense of victory faded as I saw that her warm smile had turned into a full fanged grin. Slowly, she moved back towards a sitting position, relaxing back down on one of the cushions. I took this as a peace offering and lowered my spell as well, though I was prepared to snap it back into place at a moment's notice.

"Very clever Twilight Sparkle," she practically purred in approval.

"Your poison...it's strong..." I conceded after making certain that she wasn't about to sneak in a question on me while my guard was down.

"You shouldn't have expected anything less from a queen." There was a bit of pride in her voice now.

"Right...but about these questions-"

"Nothing you tell me will leave this library without your permission," she cut in, waving away my protests. "You still wish to continue your research yes?"

Compelled to answer, I let out a 'yes' even as I was nodding my head. Was there any way of resisting these effects without magic? I suppose it was my job to find out.

"Then I will ask you questions and give you the opportunity to study this as much as you'd like," said the queen in the tone of one who was bestowing a great honor or gift upon a subject. "Feel free to deafen yourself again if you don't think you can handle it."

I didn't really consider myself as competitive as Rainbow Dash, but I got an inkling that this is what Applejack must have felt like every time the pegasus baited her into a contest. If I didn't want her to hear the answer to something then all I had to do was deafen her instead. Swallowing my embarrassment I nodded for her to continue. How bad could her questions really get?

"Who was the first mare you had a crush on?"

Damn! "C-Celestia," I said after a full second and a half of resistance.

"You certainly have lofty goals," said the changeling queen, clearly having fun at my expense. "What about her do you like most of all?"

"It's just...how easy she makes things look. She's always graceful and poised and she makes everypony feel special just talking to them." My words were a bit halted and broken as I tried to resist the compulsion to answer, but eventually it came just like the others before it.

Even as she got one embarrassing answer after the next, my mind was still working on the sensations I was feeling and the pen continued to write down my thoughts. Every time she asked a question it felt like something was grabbing onto my mane and pulling, getting stronger and stronger until I gave her the answer she was looking for.

Not every question she asked me was about my secret desires. Some were completely mundane such as asking about my past, how I had met Spike, and my favorite things to eat, but every now and again she'd slip in a personal question. I quickly found out that it was possible to get away with half-truths in some cases and resisting the compulsion did get easier over time, but Chrysalis knew of this weakness as well and would often ask me to clarify or elaborate on my answers.

Finally it got to the point where my mind was almost clear again. Chrysalis' eyes glanced towards the clock and her smile faded just a bit. "You should be feeling the end of it about now, but just to be sure...which one of your friends do you find most attractive?" she asked, repeating the question that had panicked me into protecting myself with magic before.

"R...ra..." I stopped suddenly, my body trembling, and then I let out a breath. The effects were gone. I checked the time. Even the small amount she had given me had lasted almost an hour. Suddenly the fatigue of the mental battle I had been waging caught up with me and even remaining in a sitting position became difficult. "Side effects?" I asked groggily.

"Only when you try and fight it," said Chrysalis, walking over to my prone form, one of her legs gently brushing along my mane. I didn't have the strength to protest. "It will fade soon enough, but perhaps this is a good place to stop tonight."

I let out a yelp as Chrysalis' fore-hooves grabbed me around the middle and easily lifted me up and over her head, draping me across her back with my stomach resting upon the green rings circling her middle. The smooth, slick, and slightly soft feeling of her stomach contrasted sharply with the rest of her carapace. Effortlessly handling my weight, she made her way up the stairs towards my bed.

"One more question before I leave," said Chrysalis, gently sliding me from her back to the bed. Somehow this almost affectionate treatment from her was even more embarrassing than answering all of those things she had asked me before. "Did I steal your first real kiss?"

"Just...just go! I'm tired!" I snapped out, pulling the covers over my head. Chrysalis' delicate laughter seemed to echo around my room as she took the window and flew off into the night, soon joined by a contingent of Lunar Stallions ready to escort her back to Canterlot.

It was probably Luna's influence that gave me a relatively dreamless sleep that night and I was thankful for it. Chrysalis had given me a lot to think about last night and one of the things I learned early on was that sleeping on a problem was a great way to help your mind sort things out. Yawning lightly I stretched my hooves out, only to yelp as I was treated to a sight more blinding than the sun filtering in through the window.

"Princess Celestia!" I made a fool of myself attempting to kick the covers away and give her a proper bow, but a hoof resting against my side quickly stopped me.

"Lay still my student," she murmured, her horn glowing in a way that was almost painful to look at. Lowering her head she hovered her horn above my body, filling me with the warm, welcoming feeling of her magic. "I sense only a trace of residual poison in your body and no mind altering magic to speak of."

Resting back against the pillow I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn't expected her to do anything rash and all logic said that she wouldn't, but it was nice to get a clean bill of health from the sun princess all the same.

"How did your meeting go?"

"It was...very civil," I said after giving it some thought. "Almost surprisingly so. I have my notes and findings written up so feel free to take a copy." Fighting back another yawn, I got up from my bed and stretched out my legs, running through a quick mental exercise to get my magic warmed up as well.

"Were the safety measures adequate?"

I nodded. "Very. Maybe even a bit too much."

Celestia turned to face me directly, her mane flowing behind her in an invisible breeze to reveal both of her eyes. It was a sign that this conversation was about to take a very serious turn. "I know what you're about to ask of me Twilight."

"Then you should already know the logical reasons as to why it needs to happen." I probably should have waited until at least later in the day before springing this on her but there was no stopping it now. In my mind I was already piecing together a mental checklist of the points I could bring up-

"Very well. I will give you control over how much power Chrysalis can access."

My mental checklist was crumpled up and tossed into the wastebasket of my mind. "Really? Just like that?"

"Twilight, you have saved Equestria three times now. While I hold no trust for queen Chrysalis, I do trust my most capable student."

"Thank you Princess," I said with relief, touched at her faith in me. "One more feat of heroism and I get a free Pinkie Party complete with a musical number," I teased, trying to lighten the mood as I ran through a few levitation exercises.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm Twilight, but you might find yourself giving the changeling queen a lot more than a few of your hidden crushes if you're not careful."

The book I had been levitating hit the ground with a thud. "W-wait, how did you-"

"I had surveillance spells in place."

"B-but I checked!"

"You are a gifted student Twilight, but I still have a few secrets I've yet to reveal to you."

"And you heard..."

"Everything."

"Even the um..."

"Yes, even that. It was quite flattering praise."

I would have gladly taken on Discord and Nightmare Moon with a hoof tied behind my back right now if I could have escaped from Celestia's knowing smile.

"It has been a while since I've taken a mare into my bed, but if you still have that crush on me from all those years ago-"

"Sorry got lots of things to do today and notes to prepare I'll talk with you tomorrow and we'll continue this conversation never goodbye!"

A pack of bloodthirsty timber wolves couldn't have gotten me out of there faster.


End file.
